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For this week’s South Texas Flavor, I had the chance to explore the versatile world of potatoes by visiting Papas & Papas— and you guessed it. It’s about to get cheesy, buttery, creamy and whatever else you like in your Papa Asadas.
Papas & Papas, located at 2101 N. Cage Blvd., Suite 106, in Pharr specializes in papa asada or baked potatoes, whatever you may call it. I think there’s a difference between the two, but we’ll save that for another story.
The location might be easy to miss since it’s located just under the beauty that is the Pharr highway interchanges. I’ve seen it a few times and, as a papa connoisseur, it caught my attention.
Yes, it’s cheesy but I call myself a papa connoisseur. I literally love papa asadas, I am not kidding. There is just something so good about the basics of a hot potato, butter, cream, cheese and some kind of meat.
I have a mental list of good and bad papas I’ve tried across the Valley, and like to try them whenever I visit a new taqueria or BBQ place.
Papas & Papas’ menu offers 13 different papas. They range from fajita, BBQ brisket, carnitas, pastor to a buffalo papa, with chicken tenders tossed in a buffalo sauce topped with cheddar cheese, chives, bacon and ranch or blue cheese.
It also offers torta, chicken tenders, street corn and a brisket sandwich. OK, they only offer like four items without some kind of potato element, but no one is coming to try some chicken alfredo here.
I went with one of their signature papas: the fajita papa that goes for about $12. It has grilled beef fajita, fiesta bell pepper mix, grilled onions, cheese, bacon, chives and sour cream.
I also wanted something more basic like the bistec papa which cost about $12. Reading the description, I noticed the papa came with all the “normal” fixings of a papa but had cilantro, guacamole and queso fresco. I might be wrong but that seems a bit different from what I’m used to. I chose to have it on the side but forgot to get the queso fresco on the side as well.
To top it off, I also ordered tacos de papa, which are six potato tacos topped with cabbage tomato salsa, red salsa, queso fresco and sour cream. It was about $12 as well.
Something I appreciate in a taqueria or general a Mexican restaurant is free tortilla chips and salsa. That probably hits home for many. Both are good and not too spicy.
The tacos de papa came out first, and at first glance, it was a bit overwhelming. I couldn’t even see the tacos that I ordered. After a messy bite, a sense of nostalgia hit me.
While visiting Reynosa often with my parents as a child, they would get tacos de papa from street vendors. Maybe that’s when my potato love started. Sadly, over the years we visited less and less for obvious reasons.
Biting into that crunchy but soft taco de papa took me back to the flavors found at a red Coca-Cola table in Reynosa.
All the toppings on the tacos gave it an even more flavorful taste, especially the sour cream and queso fresco. I did like that two salsas were added on top of it but I will probably take one off next time I order the tacos.
Then came both papas.
The fajita papa, with the sweetness from the bell pepper mix and onions, gave it a unique but tasty flavor that I really enjoyed. The papa is packed with all of the mentioned items which makes every bite savory.
The bistec papa also hit the spot but did not compare to the fajita papa I had. I did try some bites with the items ordered on the side and I wouldn’t have minded but It just wasn’t like a normal papa asada like from the countless taquerias in the Valley.
Overall, I left full and satisfied.
I am excited to go back to try some of their unique papas, such as papa roni, topped with pepperoni, bacon bits, mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce or the Papa Pastor with cilantro. onions, Mexican blend of cheese and pineapple. Pineapple? I know the pineapple on pizza argument is a heated one but what about pineapple in papa?
What are your tots on the matter? I’m not taking sides until I try it. Yeah, two potato puns to end this, fry and stop me.
Papas & Papas is open 11 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday and also has a Harlingen location at 6704 W. Expressway 83.
